The Empowering Partner Success blog series highlights channel partners and individuals positively impacting the communities they serve.
At Cisco, we strive to partner with people and organizations that help us bring our purpose of powering an inclusive future for all to life. That’s why we’re excited to leverage the experience and expertise of Rasheeda Frazier, founder and CEO of Empowering Greatness Inc., and share insights from the work the organization is doing to help small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) with their digital transformations.
Paying it forward
Empowering Greatness Inc. is a consultancy firm dedicated to helping SMBs, nonprofits, and other organizations navigate and overcome complex operational challenges. Rasheeda founded the organization to fill a gap she recognized as she worked with those choosing entrepreneurship as their path to success. “Many of the people I encountered had excellent ideas for businesses. However, they didn’t necessarily understand the fundamentals of building and maintaining a business. Through my education, experience, and relationships, I have developed an expertise in this area,” Rasheeda says. “I believe that when you have knowledge that enables you to live a sustainable life, you should help others do the same. And that’s what Empowering Greatness is all about.” Rasheeda is grateful to work with the Cisco partner ecosystem because, she says, “I’m part of a community that I can learn from and that allows me to help more people.”
Rasheeda’s passion for supporting SMBs stems from her belief that these businesses are the backbone of the economy. “It’s the mom-and-pop corner store and the local pizza guy who help our neighborhoods thrive.” She says, “Frequently, these same community members need support when it comes to integrating technology—or undertaking a digital transformation—to help their business grow.”
According to research, more than 60% of SMBs are actively investing in digital transformation. Yet less than 30% of these businesses say their transformations are successful. To help define a path to success, Rasheeda shared some strategies she uses to help her clients. Click on each of the video segments below to learn more.
Digital transformation defined
Rasheeda explains that digital transformation refers to the integration of digital technologies in all areas of a business. It’s also about rethinking operating models and experimenting with new strategic approaches. “These days, businesses of every size are embracing AI, adopting cloud services to enhance accessibility and flexibility, and leveraging data analytics to improve their strategic decision-making,” says Rasheeda. “These are all examples of digital transformation, and they are fundamentally changing how businesses operate and deliver value to their customers.” Rasheeda notes that digital transformation is critical for SMBs as it “levels the playing field for SMBs and allows them to compete.” She also shares that innovation and agility are key pathways to a successful transformation.
Creating an innovative and agile culture
Digital transformations are most successful and sustainable in an innovative, agile environment. Rasheeda shared valuable insights on how to create such an environment. Check out the video segments for more detailed information about these highlights.
Top actions that could enable an innovative, agile culture and a successful transformation
- Visionary leaders understand that transformation starts at the top. Leaders should recognize the need and benefit of transformation and set a clear and compelling direction for the organization.
- Communicate the vision in the context of the business so that employees understand its importance and how their work contributes to success.
- Empower your teams to make decisions and pursue creative solutions. Front-line employees who deliver products and services to customers know what’s working and what’s not.
- Foster collaboration by leveraging your network both within your organization and across industries. The more mind power you can put toward a solution, the better.
- Leverage technology to streamline processes and free up time for creative thinking and strategic planning.
- Evaluate continuously by assessing your processes and strategies to determine what adjustments need to be made to ensure sustained success.
Top actions that could hinder an innovative, agile culture and inhibit a successful transformation
- Micromanaging stifles creativity.
- Penalizing failure is counterproductive, failure is a key part of the iteration process. Instead, leave room to try new things and learn from the experience.
- Ignoring feedback hinders progress. Instead, listen for improvements that could be made.
- Staying rigid limits growth. Instead, be adaptable.
- Delaying innovation stalls potential. Don’t hold your ideas captive. Instead, share them. You never know how an idea can be improved when others contribute their input.
Continue the learning journey
Rasheeda highlighted some compelling insights based on her experiences. We also know there are other perspectives to be shared. In the spirit of fostering collaboration, we encourage SMBs to join Cisco’s SMB Empowerment Network, where you can connect with other organizations, read about upcoming SMB-focused events, and discover Cisco’s available resources.
Learn more about Rasheeda and her offerings, connect with her on LinkedIn
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